


Barbara

by rocket_rach



Series: Praestigiae [6]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, follows the killing joke, tw: gun violence, tw: mentions of sexual assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 19:50:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17432444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocket_rach/pseuds/rocket_rach
Summary: After the events of the Killing Joke, Barbara finally meets the waynes





	Barbara

The last thing Barbara Gordon felt was the bullet tearing through her gut and burying itself in her spine. She’d been gassed by the scarecrow and hit with Ivy’s quickest vines, but this bullet hurt the most. She could hear her father (at least she hoped it was her dad) or someone was yelling at her. But after everything, after being violated in the worst way then shot? She kind of wanted them to leave her alone. Her eyelids were becoming too heavy for her to hold open on her own. She shut them. It was silent. It was bliss because there wasn’t any pain. None of her old wounds and scars were throbbing. The ringing in her ears she’d received after a bomb went off on a mission gone awry had finally stopped. 

It was quiet.

It was peace. 

But her eyelids weren’t heavy anymore. She managed a peek.

A woman with thick, brown curly hair was placing a jacket over her bare body. Slowly, she reached up to wrap her hand around the woman’s wrist.

“Where am I?” she asked.

“Very nearly dead, it seems,” the woman said.

“Oh,” She released her wrist. “You look a little too nice to be Death.”

“That’s very sweet of you to say,” The woman sat on the ground next to her. “Don’t try getting up. Thomas will be over here soon and he can look you over. I have to say, you are probably in the worst shape out of everybody. I’m not sure why your wounds haven’t healed.”

“You’re Martha Wayne,” Barbara whispered. “But you're supposed to be dead.”

“I can see why Bruce likes you. You’re just as skeptical as he is. You’re Jim’s daughter, right? You look just like your dad.”

Martha turned as someone approached. If Martha hadn’t said anything about Thomas, Barbara would have thought she was looking at more passive Bruce Wayne. He was tall, at least six foot five, and had a mustache that would have made most old west bartenders green with envy. Though with all his sheer bulk, he sat next to her on the ground very gracefully. Thomas Wayne gave Barbara a kind smile.

“Hello, Miss Gordon. Mind if I look you over, see what the damage is?”

“If I was betting girl, I’d bet that it’s the bullet in the back.”

“…That’s not all the damage he did, though, is it?” Thomas asked softly.

Barbara didn’t answer. 

Thomas took her hand, squeezing it. “Ideally, we’d be moving you to keep the reapers away from you. But that’s too dangerous with your injuries. The doctors are working very hard to keep you alive back in Gotham, and I’d hate to do anything to threaten that. So, we’ll just sit here and keep you company if that’s alright?”

She nodded slowly. “Wh- What do you want to know?”

“Mainly about you, Miss Gordon. Dick seemed to be rather infatuated with you,” Thomas smiled. “I heard you forced Bruce to start training you as Batgirl.”

“Yeah,” _and look where that got me_ , Barbara thought bitterly. “He’s a big pushover when it comes to kids, I’ve found.”

“How many does he have now?” Martha asked.

"There’s Dick and Jason. Sometimes the Drake’s kid comes over. Tim’s an alright kid.”

The Waynes smiled at each other. Then, Martha reached down and cupped Barbara’s chin. Barbara met her eyes, and the two women simply gazed at each other. Thomas got up, squeezing Barbara’s shoulder before disappearing into the thick fog that surrounded them.

“Promise me you won’t give up?”

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” Barbara raised her eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“It’s going to be a lot harder when you wake up. You’re going to want to give up. But there’s more you can do now than you ever could before. And don’t isolate yourself, missy,” Suddenly, Barbara was reminded of just who’s mother this was. Martha had the imperious eyebrows, raised up. She wanted Barbara to come up with more reasons why she couldn’t do… well, whatever Martha expected of her, just so Martha could shoot them down. “The men you’ve surrounded yourself with want to help. All you have to do is let them.”

Barbara nodded.

“Now, this is going to hurt. But the reapers are getting close,” Thomas said as he rejoined them. “Let me apologize for this. It was very nice meeting you, Barbara.”

With that, Thomas plunged his glowing hand into her chest. Barbara’s heart jerked.

Then she woke up in the hospital and realized she couldn’t feel her legs.

**Author's Note:**

> thought it was about time i finished up this series lmaoooooooo


End file.
